David Evans, 38, a farmer, lives with his
wife and two children on a 2,000-acre farm in northern Zimbabwe partly occupied
by war veterans and squatters. Interview by Lauren St
John.

The guinea fowl
outside the security fence are a good alarm, because they start making a noise
at 4.45am. So does the magnificent hammerkop bird who walks around our swimming
pool trying to catch frogs. Come five o'clock I'll get up, make coffee and think
about the day's work. Farming here now comes with daily problems; you have to
try to get on top of things before they
arise.

Just before six, the labour arrive and
we'll do a register. I'll have a meeting with the foreman and duties will be
given out. This time of the year, we're curing tobacco. I have an African farm
manager who's been with me for seven years; he's in charge of the day-to-day
running of the farm. We'll check the temperature of the barns where the tobacco
is being cured. He then checks on the work being done on the lands, and I'll
follow. We'll meet to discuss how the reaping is going.

I'm downscaling my crop, as a 400-hectare
section of my farm is being taken over by war veterans. On November 10, 2002, I
got a Section 5, which means that the government want to take your land. You're
given 90 days to appeal. In February I got a Section 8, which is compulsory
acquirement. It was a huge blow. On that section, I had 400 breeding pigs, 120
sheep and 100 cattle - and we're having to destroy them all. Today I've had to
give notice to 30 employees.

I feel sorry for them, but I could be
farmless tomorrow. Most labourers disappear into the woodwork. Destitution is a
foregone conclusion.

At 8.30 I'll have breakfast with my wife.
We'll have cereal and toast, if we've found bread in the shops. The rest of the
day is mainly just weighing tobacco, packing it into crates and checking on all
jobs. Tobacco is very labour-intensive. Tea is at 10 and the whole farm sits
down for mahewu, a high-protein porridge. Come lunch time, I'll have a Coke and
a sandwich and I might sleep for an hour.

Commercial farming in Zimbabwe is just
brick wall after brick wall after brick wall. Your profit margins are eaten away
daily. When I first started farming, 12 years ago, my whole fertiliser bill was
400,000 Zimbabwe dollars. It's now close to Z$22m - if you can get it. Mealie
meal, the staple diet of black Zimbabweans, would cost Z$580 for 50 kilograms,
if you could get it - but you can't, so you buy it on the black market for
Z$10,000.

In mid-April, petrol went up nearly 200%
to Z$450 a litre. You can't get diesel, fertiliser, milk or
chemicals.

We've had so many people leave the area.
Just on my road, there are only three white farmers left out of 15. We feel
completely isolated. It's like being on an island all by yourself. Every day my
new 'neighbours' - black farmers resettled here by the government - come and
want things fixed, and you think: 'Why should I?' Now there's animosity between
both parties. We've lost some very good friends. It's hard on the women: they
look to their friends. The men can go to the bar. My wife will come back from
the supermarket and say: 'What the hell are we doing here? We're hated
everywhere we go.' I'll come home in a bad mood, she retaliates, and we don't
speak for about 12 hours.

Everyone is on antidepressants - 'chill
pills'. One farmer went to the district attorney to find out what was going to
happen to his farm. The DA said to him: 'Do you know what an aeroplane is?' He
said: 'Yes.' The DA said: 'Well, why aren't you on it?'If someone with power
wants your farm, he can make life unbearable until you break. Three times we've
had mobs outside our gate, banging drums and shouting abuse. The most afraid
I've been is when 120 people were at our gate and my wife and kids were in the
house. You're powerless. You just hope somebody will come and help. What you get
now are incidents where someone - a war veteran or a person off the street,
maybe - will say: 'Why are you still here? I'm going to come and take my plot.'
You can't fight it.

We work until 5pm, but if the guys finish
by midday, they can go home. In the evenings I'll sit with my wife on the
veranda and watch the sun go down. We live on a kopje, a small hill, with two
dams below us. The water turns orange and you can hear the frogs, and the guinea
fowl getting ready to roost. Sometimes you'll see kudu or sable walking about.
You sit there in the peace and problems go out of your head. You think: 'There's
no way I'll ever leave my house.'

Dinner is meat and vegetables, and we'll
watch TV. We're in bed by 10. It's hard to sleep because you're worried about
the future. The doctor's given us sleeping pills. Leaving the country is not an option. We're Africans,
we'll stay here. We were born here. So yeah, the joys of farming in
Zimbabwe.

ZIMBABWE’s
army has failed to pay soldiers more than $10 billion inallowances due to
them for participating in the five-year DemocraticRepublic of the Congo
(DRC) war, investigations by the Daily News haverevealed.

The 418 soldiers owed the money were part of a Southern AfricanDevelopment
Community (SADC) task force that was in charge of trainingAngolan,
Zimbabwean and Namibian troops during the campaign.

The three
SADC member-states sent troops to the DRC in 1998 to helpthat country’s
government fight off rebels that were backed by Uganda
andRwanda.

The Zimbabwe Defence Forces (ZDF) was supposed
to pay its soldiers inthe combined training team a monthly allowance of
US$500 (Z$27 500 at thethen official exchange rate), which it did for a
while but then abruptly cutoff payment.

According to
investigations by this newspaper, the ZDF owes its men atotal of US$3 769
656, which is about Z$3 105 656 000 on the official marketor Z$10 176 300
000 on the flourishing black market.

ZDF spokesman Ben Ncube
yesterday confirmed that the army owed moneysome soldiers who fought in the
DRC but he dismissed the issue as an anomalythat could occur in any large
operation such as was the DRC campaign.

Ncube said: "Admittedly
the DRC operation was a mammoth task and itwas inevitable that some
anomalies regarding the administration of pay andallowances could have
arisen.

"The director of ZAPR (Zimbabwe National Army Pay and
Records) hasbeen solving pay and allowance queries even after the completion
of theoperation.

"Individuals with such complaints are,
therefore, advised to approachZAPR in order to get their problems solved.
Members should acquaintthemselves with the relevant offices within ZAPR that
deal with specificqueries before rushing to the media."

But
investigations by this newspaper showed that some of the soldiershad not
been paid their allowances since they were deployed to the DRC frontin
2000.

Some of the troops, who claimed that the army’s pay
office hadremained silent on the allowances, said they had long lost hope of
everbeing paid.

"I have been waiting for those allowances
since I returned from Congoin October last year," one of the affected
soldiers said yesterday.

The visibly dejected trooper, who
requested anonymity for fear ofvictimisation, said: "Most of us have begun
losing hope that we will receivethe money because nothing has been said
about it since then. The pay officehas been unhelpful."

Investigations showed that the ZDF stopped paying the soldiers thefull
allowance of US$500 per person in January 2001.

Between
February and March 2001 the ZDF paid the soldiers US$250 eachor half what
they were supposed to get. Payments were then cut altogether inApril
2001.

Documents presented to this newspaper showed that some of
the soldiersowed money by the ZDF had since died before receiving their
allowances.

According to the documents, the amounts owed to the
soldiers rangefrom US$1 000 to US$13 500 per individual.

The ZDF pulled out its estimated 12 000 troops from the DRC last yearafter
peace was achieved in that country.

Zimbabwe’s involvement in
the DRC conflict has been shrouded incontroversy and secrecy with
allegations that powerful army generals andgovernment officials profiteered
from trade in illegal diamonds stolen fromDRC’s mines.

A
United Nations (UN) report accused the government and army officialsof
turning Harare into a centre for trade in "blood diamonds".

The UN
report also mentions Speaker of Zimbabwe’s Parliament EmmersonMnangagwa, ZDF
commander General Vitalis Zvinavashe and several othergovernment-linked
Zimbabweans among individuals who benefited from illegalor improper
exploitation of the DRC’s resources. Harare has dismissed the UNreport as
false and influenced by opponents of Zimbabwe’s intervention inthe DRC which
was critical in stopping the fall of the late Laurent Kabila’sgovernment in
Kinshasa. By Farai Mutsaka Chief Reporter

MUTARE – Zimbabwe has been left out of a project that is
aimed atreducing the spread of HIV/Aids among long distance truck drivers
operatingalong the Beira Development Corridor.

Malawi is
also said to have been omitted out of the project that isbeing run by the
Southern African Transport Communications Commission(SATCC), which is a
grouping of transport ministries in the Southern AfricanDevelopment
Community.

A Ministry of Transport official, Abbey Mpamhanga,
yesterday saidZimbabwe had not been consulted before decisions were taken on
how bestHIV/AIDS prevalence along the busy route could be
reduced.

Mpamhanga, who is a director of legislation in the
Transport Ministrysaid: "Zimbabwe and Malawi were left out in the
consultation work and wehear the programme is nearing conclusion before it
has been started."

Mpamhanga was reacting to comments by SATCC
project officer FredericoSarguene that the HIV/AIDS pilot project would be
completed before year-end.

Just to put those
of you in the picture who don't know, I was talked into, by the entire MDC
Committee (blacks and whites), to stand for election in the coming Council
elections to be held on 30 & 31 August 2003. Although I am from pioneer
stock; my forefathers having come here not long after the arrival of the
Amandabele, and all my predecessors having been born here, and myself, my Mother
happened to be born in England and brought back here at just three months old.
This, according to our evil illegal "Government" precludes me from standing for
election, and even has the audacity to declare that I am not
a Citizen of this Country!

My understudy for
this post is an extremely good and articulate young man by the name of Nqala
Vusumuzi Dlodlo, known by us all
as "Vusa".

At the Nomination
Court today he was accepted as a candidate for election in Ward 5 of Bulawayo.
He is, of course, on an MDC ticket He has two opponents; a somewhat capacious
lady who obviously took up an awful lot of bench room, standing (not on the
bench that is) for ZANU PF. She glared at us all with utter disdain! The other
one, who is the present Councilor for Ward 5, is standing as an Independent. He
is not only the only Independent standing for election,
but he is also the only white. I fear, should he get in
that he will be a voice in the wilderness and that even less, if thetas
possible, will be done for Ward 5.

At the Nomination
Court today two Wards out of the total of 29 were unopposed and consequently MDC
already has two Councilors elected. These were Ward 4 and Ward
20.

There are five
Wards in Bulawayo South Constituency, and we are confident these will all go to
MDC. We plan to make Bulawayo South the finest Constituency in Zimbabwe, and
without a doubt a voice of five in unison will definitely have an effect in
Bulawayo.

I will be
following up this newsletter shortly with our plans to promote Ward 5 and
Bulawayo South and actually the whole of Bulawayo.

Bulawayo has
always been the first prize in Africa. Chosen by all the
Kings, from the San, who left for our enjoyment, the World's largest art
gallery, to the greatest dynasty this Country has ever known, the Rozwis, who
chose Bulawayo for their Royal City. to Kings Mzilikazi and Lobengula and even
Rhodes, the wealthiest man on this Earth.

The end of our
present misery is very close. An unprecedented boom for this Country is not far
away. Bulawayo is the only place practical as the epicentre of that boom. We
need a strong team to lead this city into the future befitting of it's glorious
past.

VIOLENCE yesterday marred the nomination of candidates for localgovernment
elections next month with at least three opposition Movement forDemocratic
Change (MDC) party candidates said to have been admitted inhospital after
being attacked and severely injured by suspected ruling ZANUPF party
youths.

Several other MDC candidates in Chegutu, Bindura,
Marondera and othertowns were reportedly prevented by suspected ruling party
youths frompresenting their papers to nomination courts sitting in their
areas, adevelopment that enabled ZANU PF candidates to win several seats
becausethere was no opposition.

In Bindura, ZANU PF’s
Martin Dinha was declared the mayor after FredChimbiri of the MDC failed to
get to the nomination court as all the roadsleading to the court had been
sealed off by suspected ZANU PF youths. MDCcouncillor-candidates also failed
to submit their papers.

Nyathi said: "We failed
to field all our candidates in Rusape,Bindura, Karoi, Chegutu and
Marondera

because of violence. We can’t allow this situation to
prevail, we willseek recourse in the courts."

ZANU PF
spokesman Nathan Shamuyarira could not be reached for commenton allegations
that ruling party youth militias had attacked MDC candidatesand prevented
them from submitting their nomination papers.

Electoral
Supervisory Commission spokesman Thomas Bvuma could also notbe reached for
comment on the matter.

The ruling party, which in the past
three years has been defeated bythe MDC in nearly all major elections held
in urban centres, battles it outwith the MDC in municipalities of Bulawayo,
Masvingo, Karoi, Bindura,Victoria Falls, Chitungwiza, Kwekwe, Redcliff,
Gweru, Mutare and Chegutu.

But in Chegutu town 10 ZANU PF
candidates were declared winners in thecouncil election after MDC candidates
failed to get to Chegutu Town House tosubmit their papers because alleged
ZANU PF youths had blocked the road.

The opposition party last
night said one of its candidates in Chegutu,Albert Ndlovu, suffered a broken
neck after being attacked by alleged ZANUPF youths who were manning the gate
at Town House.

It could not be established by last night
whether they had managed tosubmit their papers to the nomination
court.

In the town of Karoi two MDC candidates had to be rushed
to hospitalafter they were severely assaulted by suspected ZANU PF
youths.

But in Masvingo city both ZANU PF and the MDC were able
to fieldcandidates for the 10 wards to be contested.

In
Gweru the two parties were also able to field candidates in all the17
wards.

Controversial politician, Patrick Kombayi, was
disqualified fromstanding as an MDC candidate in Ward 6 as he was not a
registered voter inthat ward. He was immediately replaced by Mildred
Ncube.

ZANU PF and MDC were also able to field candidates in
all the ninewards up for grabs in the mining town of
Redcliff.

MDC supporters in Bulawayo started chanting victory
songs by earlymorning yesterday after two of their candidates were declared
winnersbecause the ruling ZANU PF party had failed to field
candidates.

The country’s two biggest political parties also
fielded candidates inall the five municipalities of Bindura, Kwekwe,
Redcliff, Gweru and Mutarewhere new mayors are to be
elected.

Tsitsi Muzenda of ZANU PF will battle it out for the
Gweru mayoralpost with MDC’s Sessel Zvidzai.

In Mutare, ZANU
PF’s Ellen Gwaradzimba will fight against the MDC’sMisheck Kagurabadza. ZANU
PF member, Rajab Mayesera, and MDC member, PatrickMatsanga, are standing for
the Mutare mayor’s job as independents. ShadreckBeta, a former ZANU PF
chairman in Manicaland, who had said he was going tocontest for the
mayorship as an independent, did not file papers yesterday.Sternford
Bonyongwa of ZANU PF will contest with Henry Madzorera of theopposition for
the mayor’s post in Kwekwe. In Redcliff MDC’s Sonny RogersChisi, who is a
lecturer at the University of Zimbabwe, will lock horns withthe incumbent
mayor Charles Danha of ZANU PF. Staff Reporters

MUTARE – The government has converted a vocational
training centrein Vumba, about 25 kilometres south-east of Mutare, into an
all-girls youthtraining camp, displacing 500 students in the process, the
Daily Newsestablished yesterday.

The camp, which was
formerly known as Eagle Training Centre andoffered courses in secretarial
studies, becomes the government’s firstall-girls camp for its controversial
national youth service trainingprogramme.

The head of the
Youth Ministry in Manicaland province, under whichVumba falls, Reward Magama
said the displaced secretarial students had beenmoved to Magamba, which is
another government vocational college about 15kilometres north of
Mutare.

Magama said: "College activities have been moved to
Magamba. There isenough space there for everyone."

The
government official refused to comment on reports that thegovernment had
decided to open a new all-girls camp following reports offemale cadets
falling pregnant at camps where males and females
areenrolled.

But a government source said: "There were
complaints that girls werebeing impregnated at some of these centres so we
decided to have anall-girls camp for a start."

The new
Vumba camp, which can take about 700 cadets at any one time,brings to six
the number of youth camps opened by the government since itlaunched the
controversial youth training programme three years ago.

The
government says the youth training programme is intended to buildZimbabwe’s
youths into responsible and patriotic citizens.

But critics,
human rights groups and churches accuse the government ofusing the youth
programme to train gullible youngsters into a violentmilitia brigade for the
ruling ZANU PF party.

The government summoned the youths to
help the army and police crushopposition Movement for Democratic Change
demonstrations at the beginning oflast month.

Nearly all
reports on the human rights situation in Zimbabwe since theprogramme began
have accused the youths of unleashing terror and violenceagainst government
and ZANU PF opponents.

The Zimbabwe Council of Churches, the
biggest umbrella group forchurches in Zimbabwe, this week said it was
setting up a committee to probethe government’s youth programme and
allegations that the youths werecommitting human rights
violations.

HUNDREDS of
students who sat for tertiary examinations at governmentinstitutions are
unable to get their results while others say they have beenissued with the
wrong results, the Daily News established yesterday.

The
Zimbabwe National Students’ Union (ZINASU) yesterday said apartfrom students
missing results, several others had received result forsubjects they did not
sit for.

ZINASU vice-president, Jabulise Shumba, said: "A lot
of students havefailed to get their results but the problem is mainly
prevalent inpolytechnic colleges.

"We are still compiling a
full list of the complaints but as of now wehave received complaints from
Masvingo Technical College, Mutare TechnicalCollege, Bulawayo Polytechnic
and Harare Polytechnic. This kind of bunglingis a manifestation of the
crisis that is bedevilling the education sector.

"Some students
are saying that they did not got marks for examinationsthat they wrote while
others received awards for subjects they never wrote,"Shumba
said.

He said his organisation was now pressing the
government’s HigherEducation Examinations Council (HEXCO) to remark the
examinations.

HEXCO director and acting permanent secretary for
the Higher EducationMinistry, Fananidzo Pesanai, confirmed there were
problems with the tertiaryexaminations but he said he had directed students
to channel their queriesthrough their respective colleges.

Pesanai said: "I have advised students that all queries should bedirected
through their principals. So far I have not received complaintsfrom any
principal. The results were openly ratified and the process ofcollection is
currently going on.

If there were any problems, the principals
would have told me."

Officials at various state-run
institutions and colleges yesterdayconfirmed the examinations mix-up but
said this was normal because of thelarge numbers of candidates who sit for
such public examinations.

Bulawayo Polytechnic College
vice-principal, Alexander Zengeya, said:"Our results are here and we are
issuing them out to students.

"But like in any normal
examination process, there are one or twoqueries and we are handling these
separately," said Zengeya.

The principal of Harare Polytechnic,
Stephen Raza, said: "Why are theygoing to the Press? Do they think their
problems will be solved by visitingnewspapers?

"The
students know what to do if they have problems and anyway, thatis not a
story that can sell newspapers. Advise those youngsters to
comehere."

Some college lecturers yesterday blamed the
chaos gripping thetertiary examination results on the decentralisation of
the marking processby HEXCO.

In the past, markers stayed at
a central venue from where they wouldmark the examination
papers.

"There was no proper supervision of the markers. This
was mainlybecause markers were based at their usual centres with no one
hovering overtheir heads to make sure things were in order," said one
lecturer fromBulawayo Polytechnic.

But Pesanai insisted
that the decentralisation programme had notaffected the quality of the
examinations.

He said: "We were forced to decentralise the
system because of theescalating costs of hotel bills.

"But
all the same the decentralisation process was properly done andmarkers were
supervised by HEXCO officials."

THE National Constitutional Assembly (NCA) yesterday
denied mediareports that its members had resolved to pass a vote of no
confidenceagainst chairman Lovemore Madhuku and the entire top leadership of
the civicalliance.

The group, which campaigns for a new and
democratic constitution forZimbabwe, also said the reports suggesting
Madhuku or other members of hisexecutive had abused the organisation’s funds
were untrue.

The state-run Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation
(ZBC) yesterdayannounced that members of the NCA had resolved to oust
Madhuku when theorganisation meets to elect a new leadership in September
this yearallegedly because Madhuku had failed to engage the government on
the needfor a new constitution for Zimbabwe.

The ZBC said
former opposition Movement for Democratic Change partylegislator Munyaradzi
Gwisai was tipped to replace Madhuku.

NCA spokesman Douglas
Mwonzora said: "The NCA dismisses as false andunfounded reports by the ZBC
as from the morning of Monday 21 July 2003,which state that a vote of no
confidence has been passed against the NCAchairperson.

"Madhuku continues to discharge his duties.

"This is as
mandated by legitimate members of the NCA at the lastelective annual general
assembly."

Gwisai told the Daily News yesterday that while the
ZBC was entitledto its views it was not correct that he wanted to contest
for the NCAchairmanship, adding that his organisation supported Madhuku’s
leadership.

Gwisai heads the Zimbabwe chapter of International
SocialistOrganisation (ISO).

"In any democratic
organisation members are entitled to their viewsbut as ISO we are very
strong NCA members and we support Madhuku’sleadership and will support his
candidature if he decides to run for thepost," said Gwisai.

Madhuku denied the allegations that he had abused NCA funds and saidthat he
was not aware of any complaints by NCA members against
hisexecutive.

He said he suspected the allegations against
him were coming fromopponents of constitutional reforms who were unsettled
by the organisation’snationwide public meetings at which intense debate on
the need for newlegislation are taking place.

In February
2000, the NCA led a coalition of civic organisations andopposition political
parties in rejecting a government-sponsored draftconstitution in a
referendum after it argued the proposed supreme law of theland was being
manipulated to suit the desires and interests of the rulingZANU PF
party.

REPORTS that an
international anti-torture group is seeking theprosecution of a Zimbabwean
police officer allegedly involved in the tortureof opposition party
supporters should serve as a timely warning to otherstate security agents
against whom similar accusations have been levelled.

As we
reported yesterday, anti-torture group Redress has appealed toUnited Nations
Secretary-General Kofi Annan to facilitate the arrest andprosecution of a
Zimbabwe Republic Police officer who is presently part of aUN mission in
Kosovo.

The officer was allegedly involved in acts of torture
while he wasstill in Harare.

As a Zimbabwe Lawyers for
Human Rights official noted in our reportyesterday: "This should serve as an
adequate reminder to law enforcementagents who are being implicated in
torture that the day of reckoning willcome and it can be anywhere in the
world."

Indeed, the international group’s determination to see
that justice isdone for Zimbabwean victims of torture should strike as much
fear into thehearts of the perpetrators of political violence as it must
surely give hopeto torture victims that their tormentors will not go
unpunished.

As history has shown, the truth will always come
out and even thosecrimes committed in the darkest and most forgotten cell
will one day comeback to haunt their perpetrators.

And as
Chilean dictator Augusto Pinochet’s experience has shown, whenthe day of
reckoning finally comes, there will literally be nowhere to
hide.

It would therefore be foolhardy for the people who have
sanctioned andperformed horrific and barbaric acts of torture and violence
in Zimbabwe inthe past three years to believe that they can commit these
crimes withimpunity.

When the day comes for them to pay for
their brutal violation of thetrust the nation has placed in them, it will
not be enough to plead thatthey were merely following
orders.

Neither will it be enough for those in charge of the
rogue agentscommitting these crimes to plead ignorance of their
actions.

There are too many cases of torture in which state
agents are allegedto be involved, so many that any reasonable person must
realise thatsomething is terribly wrong in the country’s security
agencies.

In its June political violence report, released this
week, theZimbabwe Human Rights NGO Forum notes that there were 113 reports
of torturein June and 379 between January and last month.

Many of these allegedly involved state security agents and led to thedeath
of at least one person in June.

Medical evidence of injuries
sustained in police custody has beenprovided by several alleged torture
victims.

Some of this evidence was even tabled in court earlier
this year byopposition party legislator Job Sikhala, prompting the court to
order aninvestigation, the results of which – if there was any investigation
– havenot been made public.

It is tragic that the
government has not treated these allegationswith the seriousness that they
deserve and history will, without doubt,judge the ruling ZANU PF harshly for
its failure to take vigorous actionagainst those accused of acts of
torture.

We fully support the recommendations made by the
Zimbabwe Lawyers forHuman Rights to Home Affairs Minister Kembo Mohadi,
calling for thegovernment to include in local legislation international
policies againsttorture and cruel, inhuman and degrading
treatment.

It is imperative that the government investigates
allegations oftorture made against identified state security agents and
allows the law totakes its course if these people are found
guilty.

The state’s failure to strongly condemn and vigorously
act againstthose accused of torture will only lead Zimbabweans to conclude
that neitheris the government ignorant of what its agents are doing nor is
it whollyopposed to their actions.

President
Robert Mugabe said today Zimbabwe would cultivatefriends in the Third World
to break out of international isolation becausepoor countries could not
afford to be weak. In an address marking theofficial opening of parliament,
Mugabe made an apparent reference to theUS-led invasion of Iraq, calling the
global environment as "dangerous as itis unjust". The West shuns Mugabe,
accusing him of human rights abuses andcriticising his seizure of
white-owned farms for distribution to landlessblacks. However, African
states led by South Africa have resisted calls toisolate him
further.

"We have to recover lost alliances, resuscitate
those that aredormant, and reconstruct those we may have neglected because
it has becomeclear that the evolving global environment is unkind to the
small, dangerousto the weak and the isolated, and tempting to the greedy,"
Mugabe said.

He said his government would work to cultivate
links with ThirdWorld nations and that his election this month as a deputy
chairperson ofthe African Union was a sign of confidence in his rule. "Such
an electionwas meant to send an eloquent message to those who have
spitefully soughtour isolation and ruin," said Mugabe (79), who has ruled
Zimbabwe sinceindependence from Britain 23 years ago. The West has slapped a
variety ofsanctions on Mugabe and his officials but South Africa says it
prefers touse "quiet diplomacy". For the first time in four years,
oppositionlawmakers did not boycott Mugabe's speech, and even Morgan
Tsvangirai, theMovement for Democratic Change (MDC) leader, attended the
session.

The main opposition MDC, which holds just over a
third of the150 seats in parliament, said it had decided to attend to create
anenvironment for political dialogue - although Mugabe made no mention of
thispossibility in his speech. The MDC accuses Mugabe of rigging his
re-electionlast year and says he has mismanaged the economy, leading to
recordunemployment of over 70% and one of the highest rates of inflation in
theworld. In a 30-minute speech uncharacteristically devoid of attacks
ondomestic and foreign opponents, Mugabe vowed to clamp down on corruption
andwarned of tough measures against smuggling scarce foreign currency out
ofthe country. - Reuters

THE Government will soon release the long awaited
quarterly review of thecountry's economic perfomance with a view to making
adjustments wherenecessary, Finance and Economic Development Minister, Dr
Herbert Murerwa hassaid.

Dr Murerwa is also expected to appraise the
nation on the progress maderegarding the implementation of the National
Economic Revival Programme,which was introduced in February this
year.

"When we announced the first review, we agreed that another
will be done atthe end of June. We are almost through with the exercise and
the nationshould expect an announcement from us soon," he said.

The
Government has announced a series of measures aimed at enhancing theeconomy
since the beginning of the year.

Some of the measures saw oil companies
being allowed to import fuel whilemotorists over 16 years were also given
the greenlight to import 200litresof fuel.

The foreign exchange rate
was adjusted for exporting sectors to $824 for thegreenback.

However,
the US1 to Z$55 rate remained for all non export sectors.

The Government
had almost completed its review of the economic performanceof the country
and the past three months and would make its findings publicvery
soon.

Among other issues, there has been widespread debate on whether or
not toreview the exchange rate. Most exporters have been advocating for an
upwardreview of the exchange rate while economic analysts have shot down the
ideaarguing that it would be counter-productive.

Most exporters have
argued that some countries, which they export to such asZambia, were using
the parallel market rate to calculate the value of theirgoods.

They
also argued that the rate should be reviewed because they were buyinghard
currency from the black market to procure their raw materials and whenthey
export they were offered a rate of US$1 to $824 which is below theparallel
market rate.

However, analysts have said a downward review of the
exchange rate was not asolution as it had the effect of making Zimbabwean
exports cheaper.

Such a move, they said, would lead to a reduction in
export earnings.

Most of the country's exports are primary
goods.

The analysts said that focus should be on the exportation of
value-addedgoods.

The analysts also indicated that the downward
review of the exchange ratewas likely to fuel the rise in the street value
of hard currencies.

"As long as we have a shortage of hard currency, the
street market willcontinue. Until such a time that we have sufficient
supplies and if theauthorities try to match the street value as some people
are proposing, thenwe are likely to see rate shooting up," said one of the
economic analysts.

Government officials have also expressed reservation
about reviewing theexchange rate further since anticipated inflows of
foreign currency afterthe initial review did not occur.

The Employers
Confederation of Zimbabwe president, Mr Mike Bimha said theGovernment had
been misled by the people who had negotiated on behalf ofbusiness for a
review of the exchange rate.

Meanwhile, Dr Murerwa hinted that the
Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe couldactually introduce the $1000 bill earlier that
the anticipated period ofNovember.

He said Government had put some
measures on a fast track as it wanted theCentral Bank to continue to step up
efforts on dealing with the cashshortage in the country.

"We have had
to cut some processes on the production of the $1000 notes,"
hesaid.

Dr Murerwa said that they were not considering the
introduction of higherdenominations onto the market other than the $1 000
bill.

"We have received suggestions to that effect but we have not
consideredthose measures yet.

"After all, the whole point in
introducing higher denomination is forconvenience sake and at the moment we
believe the $1 000 note will serve thepurpose," he said.

The country
has been experiencing serious cash shortages during the pastthree
months.

The RBZ has responded by injecting $24 billion into the market in
tranchesof $4 billion and also encouraging the use of cheques and electronic
moneyas an alternative to cash.

On Friday, a further $12 billion were
injected into the market as part ofefforts to alleviate the shortage of cash
in the country.

HARARE - A top Zimbabwean opposition
MP was arrested today soon after hisparty announced MPs would not walk out
on President Robert Mugabe's annualparliamentary opening
speech.

Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) spokesman Paul Themba
Nyathi,the MP whowas arrested, said in a statement before his incaceration
the decision wasaimed at "reducing political tensions in the country so that
an atmosphereconducive to dialogue can be created, with a view to amicable
negotiationsfor a dignified exit for Mr Robert Mugabe".

In return,
the MDC expected Mugabe's ruling Zanu(PF) to end its harassmentof the party,
stop its campaign of violence and to restore law and order.

Immediately
after he issued the statement, Nyathi was ordered to presenthimself at
Harare central police station where he was detained under recentlegislation
for allegedly ridiculing Mugabe, said David Coltart, the party'ssecretary
for legal affairs.

Nyathi was accused of publishing a disrespectful
cartoon last month ahead ofa five-day national strike to protest against
Mugabe's rule. The cartoonshowed a terrified Mugabe fleeing a mob of angry
people.

"Our decision (on Monday) was meant to be the test for ZANU(PF)
to respondto our gesture," Coltart said.

"It's ironic that Paul
should be arrested the very next day."

The arrest came as heavily-armed
paramilitary police ringed the city centrehours before the 79-year-old
president was due to preside over theceremonial annual opening of
Parliament.

The MDC's gesture was made amid mounting international
diplomatic pressureon both parties to begin negotiations to end the
country's crisis.

Pressure was stepped up sharply on July 9 when United
States PresidentGeorge Bush visited South Africa. He and South African
President Thabo Mbekiagreed to make "urgent" efforts to end Zimbabwe's
political and economiccrisis.

The day before the opening, the MDC
said, 11 of its candidates had beenforcibly stopped by ruling party militias
from formally registering forlocal government elections in urban areas
around the country.

Three would-be candidates, one of them with a broken
neck, were in hospitalafter ruling party youths attacked them when they
tried to register.

In other areas, Mugabe supporters blocked roads
leading to registrationoffices.

The seats were then allocated to
ruling party candidates because the MDC had"failed to contest them", Nyathi
said in a statement on last night.

The MDC, which has holds 54 seats in
the 150 seat chamber against Zanu(PF)'s64, was due to boycott Mugabe's
address for a second time in two years,following his widely disputed victory
in presidential elections in Marchlast year.

The MDC said the boycott
was a symbolic refusal to recognise Mugabe, whosepresidency the MDC, most
Western governments and international electionobservers said was won through
fraud, violent intimidation and laws thatgave the ruling party almost total
control of the running of the election.

Nyathi said the decision by the
MDC to drop its walk-out "does not in anywaychange our position that
Mugabe's position is disputed".

A reception for MPs, leading national
figures and the diplomaticcorps,traditionally held at State House, Mugabe's
official residence, theday before the opening of Parliament, was cancelled
on Sunday with noreasons being given. It was also expected to be marred by a
boycott byopposition MPs and Western diplomats.

MDC sources said the
party's decision to sit in the chamber through Mugabe'sspeech had been
reached after lengthy negotiations between MDCvice-president Gibson Sibanda
and Justice Minister Patrick Chinamasa.

The sources said Chinamasa had
agreed that authorities would stop arrestingopposition MPs and allow them to
attend report-back meetings in theirconstituencies.

Most of the MDC's
MPs have been arrested by police in the three years sincethey were elected,
but in no cases have there been any successfulprosecutions. In most cases,
courts have dismissed the charges before trialscould begin.

Nyathi
was last arrested in April for allegedly plotting to
overthrowMugabe.

A top
Zimbabwean opposition member of Parliament (MP) was arrested onTuesday soon
after his party announced MPs would not walk out on PresidentRobert Mugabe's
annual parliamentary opening speech.

Movement for Democratic Change (MDC)
spokesperson Paul Themba Nyathi, the MPwho was arrested, said in a statement
before his incarceration the decisionwas aimed at "reducing political
tensions in the country so that anatmosphere conducive to dialogue can be
created, with a view to amicablenegotiations for a dignified exit for Mr
Robert Mugabe".

In return, the MDC expected Mugabe's ruling Zanu-PF to
end its harassment ofthe party, stop its campaign of violence and to restore
law and order.

Immediately after he issued the statement, Nyathi was
ordered to presenthimself at Harare central police station where he was
detained under recentlegislation for allegedly ridiculing Mugabe, said David
Coltart, the party'ssecretary for legal affairs.

Nyathi was accused
of publishing a disrespectful cartoon last month ahead ofa five-day national
strike to protest against Mugabe's rule. The cartoonshowed a terrified
Mugabe fleeing a mob of angry people.

"Our decision [on Monday] was meant
to be the test for Zanu-PF to respond toour gesture," Coltart
said.

"It's ironic that Paul should be arrested the very next
day."

The arrest came as heavily-armed paramilitary police ringed the
city centrehours before the 79-year-old president was due to preside over
theceremonial annual opening of Parliament.

The MDC's gesture was
made amid mounting international diplomatic pressureon both parties to begin
negotiations to end the country's crisis.

Pressure was stepped up sharply
on July 9 when United States PresidentGeorge Bush visited South Africa. He
and South African President Thabo Mbekiagreed to make "urgent" efforts to
end Zimbabwe's political and economiccrisis.

The day before the
opening, the MDC said 11 of its candidates had beenforcibly stopped by
ruling party militias from formally registering forlocal government
elections in urban areas around the country.

Three would-be candidates,
one of them with a broken neck, were in hospitalafter ruling party youths
attacked them when they tried to register.

In other areas, Mugabe
supporters blocked roads leading to registrationoffices.

The seats
were then allocated to ruling party candidates because the MDC had"failed to
contest them", Nyathi said in a statement on Monday night.

The MDC, which
has holds 54 seats in the 150 seat chamber against Zanu-PF's64, was due to
boycott Mugabe's address for a second time in two years,following his widely
disputed victory in presidential elections in Marchlast year.

The MDC
said the boycott was a symbolic refusal to recognise Mugabe, whosepresidency
the MDC, most Western governments and international electionobservers said
was won through fraud, violent intimidation and laws thatgave the ruling
party almost total control of the running of the election.

Nyathi said
the decision by the MDC to drop its walk-out "does not in anywaychange our
position that Mugabe's position is disputed".

A reception for MPs,
leading national figures and the diplomatic corps,traditionally held at
State House, Mugabe's official residence, the daybefore the opening of
Parliament, was cancelled on Sunday with no reasonsbeing given. It was also
expected to be marred by a boycott by oppositionMPs and Western
diplomats.

MDC sources said the party's decision to sit in the chamber
through Mugabe'sspeech had been reached after lengthy negotiations between
MDC vicepresident Gibson Sibanda and Justice Minister Patrick
Chinamasa.

The sources said Chinamasa had agreed that authorities would
stop arrestingopposition MPs and allow them to attend report-back meetings
in theirconstituencies.

Most of the MDC's MPs have been arrested by
police in the three years sincethey were elected, but in no cases have there
been any successfulprosecutions. In most cases, courts have dismissed the
charges before trialscould begin.

Nyathi was last arrested in April
for allegedly plotting to overthrowMugabe. - Sapa

JOHANNESBURG, - Zimbabwe's main opposition Movement for
DemocraticChange (MDC) on Tuesday said it would contest the results of local
electionsdue later this month, following reports that a number of its
candidates hadbeen prevented from registering for municipal and mayoral
polls in someconstituencies.

The MDC alleged that 11 of its
candidates who arrived on Monday at thenomination court in Chegutu, about
100 km southwest of the capital, Harare,were attacked by around 400 youths
from the ruling ZANU-PF party.

"The intimidation started on Sunday
evening when a number of ZANU-PFsupporters went from home to home in Chegutu
inquiring after MDC supporters.In one instance they ransacked the home of a
prospective MDC candidate andconfiscated his nomination papers, national
identity document and birthcertificate. They knew that without these
documents it would impossible forthe candidate to register," MDC information
officer, Maxwell Zimuto, toldIRIN.

Despite police assurances
that security would be provided for the MDCcandidates on Monday, they were
prevented from entering the nominationcourt.

"Two of the men
were severely beaten, and suffered facial cuts andhead injuries. We have
received reports that some of our candidates in othertowns across the
country have faced the same intimidation. In Marondera (70km east of Harare)
a prospective candidate has been hospitalised and hisx-rays show several
broken ribs," Zimuto reported.

Meanwhile, as a gesture of goodwill,
the MDC on Tuesday attended theofficial opening of parliament. Opposition
MPs last year boycotted theoccassion, saying they did not recognise the
legitimacy of President RobertMugabe as the head of state.

"Our
action is calculated to reduce political tensions in the countryso that an
atmosphere conducive to dialogue can be created, with a view toamicable
negotiations for a dignified exit for Mr Robert Mugabe from thepolitical
scene," MDC secretary for information and publicity, Paul ThembaNyathi, said
in a statement.

In a related development, the High Court has set 3
November as thedate for a presidential election petition, in which the
opposition ischallenging the legitimacy of Mugabe's victory. The MDC said
the polls heldin March 2002 were marred by violence, intimidation and
vote-rigging.

Meanwhile, the United States has 'blacklisted'
Zimbabwe, along withfive other countries accused of oppression and human
rights abuses.President George W. Bush accused the Harare government of
"violence,corruption, and mismanagement", Associated Press reported on
Friday.

Zimbabwe's ruling party reacted angrily to a call by US
Secretary ofState Colin Powell last month for the urgent removal of Mugabe
and his"cronies".

Minister of State for Information Jonathan
Moyo called Powell'sstatements false, and linked the US call for a regime
change in Zimbabwe toits invasion of Iraq.

JOHANNESBURG, - The Zimbabwe
Council of Churches (ZCC) has apologisedfor "not having done enough at a
time when the nation has looked to us forguidance" during the current
crisis.

A news release on the website of Christian Aid, a ZCC
partnerorganisation, said the ZCC was apologising for "standing by while
itscountry's people have starved to death due to food shortages, and
whileviolence, rape, intimidation and torture have 'ravaged the
nation'".

According to Christian Aid a communiqué issued at the
council's annualgeneral meeting earlier this month said the churches "have
watched aschildren have been forced onto the streets out of
poverty".

It quoted the communiqué as saying that "while the church
has notedall these developments, and while we have continued to pray, we
have notbeen moved to action ... We as a council apologise to the people of
Zimbabwefor not having done enough at a time when the nation has looked to
us forguidance".

But the churches' apology has left some
commentators under-whelmed."We've heard many apologies before," said human
rights activist BrianKogoro.

As to the significance of the
churches' statement, Kogoro commented:"After the Matabeleland massacre [in
the 1980s] the churches issued anapology and condemned the genocide, so for
those of us who have beenmonitoring church involvement in socio-economic,
political and justiceissues, we are waiting to see something more than just
an apology.

"We are waiting to see what practical steps aimed at
dealing with thecurrent situation [will be taken]. We are waiting to see the
church taking adecisive position on human rights; a tough position on the
issue ofpolitical transition and repressive legislation."

He
added that "whilst the apology might serve to soothe their moral and
religious sense of duty", it did not ease the circumstances of
ordinaryZimbabweans.

The court date
announcement comes against the backdrop of President RobertMugabe's promise
not to participate in talks with the MDC until it drops itslegal challenge
to overturn the results of the 2002 presidential election.Mugabe won, but
many election monitors said the poll was flawed.

The MDC has long
disputed the result of the election, saying it was subjectto gross rigging
resulting in a "stolen election".

David Coltart, an MDC MP and the
party's secretary for legal affairs, saidthe initial five-day hearing would
be devoted to what the MDC contended were"the serious irregularities
perpetrated by the authorities, before and afterthe presidential election
held in March 2002".

"At a later date, there will, if necessary, be
another hearing dealing withthe factual issues involved, including the
numerous acts of violence againstMDC supporters and fraudulent conduct of
the elections," he said.

Prior to the hearing, all parties have to comply
with all the courtrequirements so that the trial can proceed on the date
set.

Both parties involved have to make full disclosure of relevant
documents intheir possession.

The MDC claims that Zimbabwe's
registrargeneral of elections, Tobiah Mudede,Justice Minister Patrick
Chinamasa and the Electoral Supervisory Commissionhave all refused to make
available the substantial number of documents intheir possession relating to
the presidential election.

The MDC claims that the registrar-general
still has not brought theelectoral materials to Harare as is required in
terms of the Electoral Act,despite court orders being obtained compelling
him to do so.

In reply to a question about dropping the petition as a
precondition fortalks, Coltart said yesterday: "We will never do this. We
have made it clearto Zanu (PF) and the African National Congress that if
talks are held withinan agreed agenda and overseen by a professional
facilitator, we may beprepared to suspend the court action."

Harare - Zimbabwe's main opposition party claimed on Monday
almost a dozenof its candidates in central Zimbabwe were chased away from
registering forlocal elections next month.

Nomination courts were
sitting on Monday to register candidates formunicipal and mayoral polls, due
to take place on August 30-31 in 11 townsand cities throughout
Zimbabwe.

The Movement for Democratic Change said in a statement that 11
of itscandidates who arrived at the nomination court in Chegutu, central
Zimbabwe,were attacked by about 300 ruling party youths and "chased off from
thenomination court to ensure that they could not register".

The MDC,
which enjoys massive support in urban areas, is the main rival toPresident
Robert Mugabe's ruling Zimbabwe African National Union - PatrioticFront
(Zanu-PF) party.

An opposition official reported similar incidents of
intimidation of itscandidates in the eastern town of Marondera while they
were inside thenomination court filing their papers.

"Right now, as I
speak to you, they (the candidates) are surrounded byZanu-PF militia," said
the official, who asked not to be named.

Policewere not available for
comment.

Earlier on Monday, the MDC said one of its candidates for the
localelections in Marondera was forced by Zanu-PF youths to flee the town at
theweekend.

Mugabe remains defiantFrom correspondents in
Harare23jul03JUST hours after Zimbabwe's opposition offered a political
truce with thegovernment, President Robert Mugabe threatened today to hit
his opponentswith "the full wrath of the law" if they tried to destabilise
the nation.

In a strongly worded speech opening Parliament, Mugabe said
"internal andexternal forces" were trying to plunge the nation into chaos,
but itremained a role model for Africa.

Zimbabwe's economy is utterly
devastated, with unemployment at 70 per centand inflation topping 300 per
cent a year. Political violence, mainly blamedon ruling party militants, has
been rampant over the past three years.

Mugabe's speech came after the
opposition Movement for Democratic Changeannounced its lawmakers would not
boycott Mugabe's speech - as they usuallydo - but would remain in Parliament
as part of an effort to build goodwillto end the nation's political
standoff.

"We believe we owe it to the nation and all the
people who elected us totake bold steps in creating a political environment
conducive to successfuldialogue," MDC spokesman Paul Themba Nyathi
said.

Nyathi was freed after signing a
statement acknowledging that the MDC'sinformation department, which he
heads, was responsible for an advertisementdepicting Mugabe as a thief
fleeing an angry crowd, said Innocent Chagonda,his lawyer.

Nyathi
could be charged later, Chagonda said.

The opposition refuses to
acknowledge Mugabe's declared victory inpresidential elections last year
that international monitors said wereflawed. Two national strikes it has led
this year to pressure Mugabe toretire have shut down what remains of the
economy.

Mugabe, 79, remained defiant.

"I strongly warn those who
seek to indulge in attempts to create politicalinstability will face the
full wrath of the law," he told Parliament.

Talks between the two parties
collapsed last year when the governmentdemanded the MDC recognise Mugabe's
election. Mugabe has refused tonegotiate until the MDC drops its court
challenge to the poll, a conditionit has rejected.

Nyathi said today
the MDC was attending the speech hoping that the rulingparty would respond
by ending political violence, restoring law and orderand stopping the
harassment and arrests of opponents to clear the way for"amicable
negotiations" for Mugabe's retirement.

Judges in scarlet robes and long, white, traditional
British wigs filed intothe building ahead of Mugabe. Mugabe said his recent
election as one of fivevice chairmen of the African Union, a continental
body, was "an eloquentmessage to those who have spitefully sought our
isolation and ruin".

He said the new parliamentary session would be asked
to form anAnti-Corruption Commission and an authority to investigate money
laundering,He also asked for steps to curb the thriving black market and to
strengthenthe monitoring of basic food prices - many of which are fixed by
thegovernment - to keep them affordable.

"Some companies and
institutions are doing very well in the economy indecline. The paradox of
this is shown by the impoverished condition of thecommon man," Mugabe
said.

Zimbabwe is suffering acute shortages of hard currency, food and
importssuch as medicine and fuel. The fuel shortages have crippled industry
andtransportation.

Part of the economic and hunger crises plagued the
county is blamed on astate program that seized thousands of white-owned
commercial farms forredistribution to black settlers.

Mugabe said
seizures of more land targeted would be speeded up.

Mugabe said a decline
in mining could be halted by "breaking thestranglehold of multinational
mining companies" and allowing local intereststo play a greater
role.

HARARE, Zimbabwe (AP) - Just hours after Zimbabwe's opposition
offered apolitical truce with the government, President Robert Mugabe
threatenedTuesday to hit his opponents with ``the full wrath of the law'' if
theytried to destabilize the nation.

In a strongly worded speech
opening Parliament, Mugabe said ``internal andexternal forces'' were trying
to plunge the nation into chaos, but itremained a role model for
Africa.

Zimbabwe's economy is utterly devastated, with unemployment at 70
percentand inflation topping 300 percent a year. Political violence, mainly
blamedon ruling party militants, has been rampant over the past three
years.

Mugabe's speech came after the opposition Movement for
Democratic Changeannounced its lawmakers would not boycott Mugabe's speech -
as they usuallydo - but would remain in Parliament as part of an effort to
build goodwillto end the nation's political standoff

``We believe we
owe it to the nation and all the people who elected us totake bold steps in
creating a political environment conducive to successfuldialogue,'' MDC
spokesman Paul Themba Nyathi said.

Nyathi was freed after signing a statement acknowledging that the
MDC'sinformation department, which he heads, was responsible for an
advertisementdepicting Mugabe as a thief fleeing an angry crowd, said
Innocent Chagonda,his lawyer.

Nyathi could be charged later, Chagonda
said.

The opposition refuses to acknowledge Mugabe's declared victory
inpresidential elections last year that international monitors said
wereflawed. Two national strikes it has led this year to pressure Mugabe
toretire have shut down what remains of the economy.

Mugabe, 79,
remained defiant.

``I strongly warn those who seek to indulge in attempts
to create politicalinstability will face the full wrath of the law,'' he
told Parliament.

Talks between the two parties collapsed last year when
the governmentdemanded the MDC recognize Mugabe's election. Mugabe has
refused tonegotiate until the MDC drops its court challenge to the poll, a
conditionit has rejected.

Nyathi said Tuesday the MDC was attending
the speech hoping that the rulingparty would respond by ending political
violence, restoring law and orderand stopping the harassment and arrests of
opponents to clear the way for``amicable negotiations'' for Mugabe's
retirement.

In the latest violence, three opposition candidates for town
councils aroundZimbabwe were injured in assaults and several were chased
away from courtswhere they went Monday to submit nomination papers, Nyathi
said.

We, the MDC parliamentarians, mindful of the
tensions in our country, created by political intolerance and the failure of
Zanu PF to acknowledge plurality and tolerate diversity, and aware of the need
to move our country out of the political quagmire, resolve to take up the MDC
National Executive's challenge to do everything in our power to contribute to
the reduction of political tensions in the country so as to create a political
environment conducive to serious dialogue.

Zimbabweans are suffering. Thousands are
destitute. Millions live in abject poverty. Inflation stands at 364.5%. About
80% of Zimbabweans are out of work. There is no fuel in the country. Thousands
are victims of political violence and live in a climate of acute insecurity.
Life in the country has become unbearable. It is important that the country
returns speedily to a state of normalacy.

We believe that the MDC holds the key to
facilitating a search for the resolution of the crisis. This is a heavy
responsibility. We believe we owe it to the nation, and all the people who
elected us, to take bold steps in creating a political environment conducive to
successful dialogue.

We take this profound decision in the face
of increased attacks on our members, as exemplified by the numerous attacks on
our candidates in Karoi, Chegutu and Marondera who were in the process of filing
their nomination papers.

In spite of these barbaric acts of
provocation we will avail ourselves at the opening of parliament by Mr Mugabe
today. This action is a deliberate move on our part, it is meant to lower the
threshold on tensions in Zimbabwe, and to encourage Zanu PF to turn its back on
violence and work for peace and a resolution of the crisis in Zimbabwe in order
to take the country forward.

We as MPs are aware of the election
challenge to the outcome of the 2002 presidential election and fully support
that challenge. Our attendance to the opening of the parliament does not in any
way change our position that Mugabe's position is disputed. Our action is calculated to reduce political tensions in the
country so that an atmosphere conducive to dialogue can be created with a view
to amicable negotiations for a dignified exit for Mr Robert Mugabe from the
political scene.

The decision not to walk out of
parliament during the opening session has not been an easy one. It has been
difficult. However, we believe that the interests of this country demand that we
make bold decisions to save this country from certain ruin. We now expect Zanu
PF to reciprocate this decision by taking steps to:

1. Immediately stop violence
against the people of Zimbabwe

2. Direct the police to enforce
the law impartially.

3. Release of all political
prisoners and cessation of political persecutions

4. Restore law and
order

5. Stop the political
persecution of civil society and respect the human rights of all
Zimbabweans

6. Stop the hate and
vilification campaign against the MDC and its
leadership.

1. Article OneAll human beings are
born free and equal in dignity and rights. They areendowed with reason and
conscience and should act towards one another in aspirit of
brotherhood.

2. Article SevenAll are equal before the law and are
entitled without discrimination toequal protection of the law. All are
entitled to equal protection of thelaw. All are entitled to equal protection
against any discrimination inviolation of this declaration and against any
incitement of suchdiscrimination.

3. Article SeventeenA) Everyone
has the right to own property, alone, as well as inassociation with
others.B) No one shall be arbitrarily deprived of his
property.

"You see, I happen to have this radical idea that all of us, whether we
beAmerican, or Iranian, or Iraqi, or Zimbabwean, or Congolese, or Japanese,
orblack, or white, or Christian, or Muslim, or atheist, or male, or female,
orstraight, or gay, or whatever, are all human beings, and are all
deservingof the respect and decency that being human entails. There is not
any groupamong us that is "better," or is more or less "worthy" than any
other group,and when anyone is killed in some conflict, whether it be an
Americansoldier, or an Iraqi civilian, or a child in Congo, we all suffer,
and arediminished as a species. My political agenda, as it were, is
orientedtoward breaking down those walls that divide us -- in the hope that
doing sowill help us eventually fulfill my other political agenda, which
isexpanding into space as a united humanity -- and if I'm to be accused
ofusing the recognition that a certain comet gave me in order to further
thoseends, then I gladly plead guilty as charged."